The Race Is On for Iron Ore Riches Buried Under an African ...
A blast furnace is charged with iron ore, charcoal or coke (coke is charcoal made from coal) and limestone (CaCO 3 ). Huge quantities of air blast in at the bottom of the furnace, and the calcium in the limestone combines with the silicates to form slag. Liquid iron collects at the bottom of the blast furnace, underneath a layer of slag.